-=> Quoting Kurt Weiske to Joe Mackey on 26 Jan 14  20:07:57 <=-

 KW> My comments are in regards to my 2002 Toyota Camry - not the most
 KW> current thing, but I've been keeping it running since new. I'm coming
 KW> up on 180K in 11 years and it's doing fine.

Even now, it certainly depends on the car.  We had a Dodge Aries that
only lasted us 8 years (and that included being "totalled" three times),
and then we had a 1989 Dodge Shadow that we kept on the road for 20
years, and managed to put well over 200,000 on...  :)

 JM>  No longer can you just pull out the plug and change a burned out stop
 JM> light or turn signal.  You need to replace a lot bunch of costly parts
 JM>  as well. 

 KW> Nope, I replaced all of my bulbs as they failed, at about 150K. I
 KW> figured if one brake light went out, I'd replace both. I replaced the
 KW> interior lights with LEDs, just 'cause.

There are some cars that it's almost impossible to do even lightbulb
changes on your own... and then there are also cars now that that's
about the only thing you can do... and some that you can do a little
more on...  

 KW> I've lost an MPG or so over
 KW> the years, but the car car looks straight, drives nicely, is
 KW> dependable, repairs are cheap and it's all paid for.

Our policy is that as long as the repairs are less (over the course of a
year or so) than the cost of new car payments, might as well keep an
older car... as long as it is willing to run...  :)   And nowadays, the
bodies don't rust out so fast, either, so that isn't an issue....

ttyl         neb

... In a tug of war, the rope loses.
--- Blue Wave/DOS v2.20